TV4 and SVT problems
Extra time in World Cup matches has been a major talking point.
But it is causing problems for broadcast TV channels – which are now forced to rethink.
– We were expecting longer matches, but we didn’t imagine it would end like this, TV4 sports director Eric Westberg tells Expressen.
Usually the referees add one or two minutes in the first half and three, four or five in the second half. However, this was not the case at the World Cup matches in Qatar. There, the public and TV viewers had to get used to about ten minutes of extra time in every second match.
– Fun for all viewers, more football, said Albin Ekdal in the SVT studio yesterday.
But not everyone is equally excited.
The fact that matches are getting longer means big challenges for broadcasters. Expressen states that TV4 was forced to call meetings on Tuesday to find out how to deal with the problems.
– It’s obviously a challenge for us in linear TV when there are such long matches. It conflicts with our usual times for news broadcasts and such. It’s something we’re looking at now, how do we handle it when there are incredibly long games like there have been now,” the channel’s sporting director Eric Westberg told the newspaper.
Channels can be changed
Westberg says it might be appropriate to move news broadcasts to TV4 playback, or move football broadcasts to Seven.
“We’re allowed to be very flexible and work closely with the program planning and editorial staff at Nyheterna all the time,” he says.
Colina behind the directions
At the initiative of former Supreme Judge Pierluigi Collina, the new directives on the increase in overtime were introduced.
Collina, who is now chair of the FIFA Referees Committee, has long pushed for more efficient playing time.
– The goal is to provide more entertainment for the viewers. We want to avoid a game that has 42, 43, 44, 45 minutes of effective playing time. He said before the tournament, according to TTT, that it was unacceptable.
